Power boat



Dec. 21, 1937. B. w. MORRIS, JR 2,103,087

POWER BOAT Filed Nov. 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 2l, 1937. B, Wl MORmS, JR 2,103,087

POWER BOAT Filed Nov. 5, i935 s sheets-sheet z 9 u I f/ N N [L I L d C Yr, C -M- 'f- Q '5 hl CE Q -l| C Dec. 21,"1937'` Y BAW, MORRIS, JR' 2,103,087

PowER'BoAT Filed Nav. 5; 1953 3- sheets-sheet s S' B' l Y O@ GOGO@ C@ Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNI-Tee STATES 2,103,087- Y POWER BOAT Bejamin w. Morris, n; Essex, coni.

Application November' 3, 1933; Sria'PN'o. .696;'48'5 2 Claims. This invention relates to an improvementin power boats' and'more particularly tothe type adapted to be propelled by powery generated by'an `internal'combustion engine. v

Heretoforelit has` been customary'toform the hull of a power boat from wood, or from wood and steel,\and to mount the powerplant on a' bed, of wood or steel, in turn rigidly secured-*to floor members within 'the'hulL Likewise, ithas been customary to support the propeller shaft inbo'ard bymeans voi bearings supported from elements of the hull independent from fmembers' supportingthe engine bed, and outboard by meansof a bea ing supported by a strut "supported from the huli.`

"The type of constructionV 'heretofore generally used has been found tobe'open to numerous obl jections, more especially inthat due to the independent support of the power plant `and propeller shaft 'bearings moreV or' i less misalignment of the propeller lshaft occurs especiallyini high speed-boats and in unquiet water'due'f'to the working of `the hull, with theV resultl that propeller shaft bearing friction is high causinglossof effective power and shortening bearing life.' Further, where the vpower plantis mounted onf a steel bed supported from' `wooden floors; or fon a wooden bed, it hasbeen found that lunder 'heavy strainr` the metal parts will invariablybear awayfrom* the 'wooden parts. Again,` in the form of` construction heretofore customary, the weight of the power 'plant has been concentr'atedon the portion of the hull supporting'the power plantbed and, since thepower plant has been rigidly secured to the hull, vibration thereof is transmitted direcuy to the hun with disadvantageous yeffect" upon the fastenings', caulking,V etc.

Now 'in accordance with this invention a construction is provided whereby the power'fplantand" the propeller shaft, including itsv adjunctsas reverse and-other gearing, and indeed, if desired, alllthe accessories of supply and controll of the power plant, will be supported from thev hull as-a unit, having no rigid connection withA the V-hullf andina manner'such as to distribute thel weightA thereof substantially uniformly throughout.` the hull,to insure alignmentand maintenance 'of alignment-of the propeller shaft bearings, both inboard and outboard, andfto largely eliminate `the-transmission of vibration ffrom' the powerplant to the hull. Y

Broadly the?inventionl-contemplated by this invention comprises, in a power boat, the combination of a hull and a frame element, for the support of a power plant, mounted within the hull without rigid' connectionv with any ofthe elements tliereo'f.l y More' speciically,v kfrom one standpoint, the' invention is applicable to" construct'io'nsA involving 'a' wooden hull and a metal fra'rne'elment; and from anotherY standpoint th" frame elernent serves not only to the" sppbr't" th 'p'ow' plant, but also supports both the inboard and'ou'tboard propeller shaft bearings and anyv propellershaft gearing asa unit with lthe power plant an'dwith outrigid "connection with thehulLf Y FromT still 'more' vSpecific or limited standpoin'tsl the *inventionv involves 'the various'principles4 and details of design and"`c`ons`truction,` in' whole" orin partj which will bev more' particularly described hereinafter withreference to vapreferredv embodir ment thereof.

.Having now 'indicated' in* a gerenal: way" the: nature and purposeiof this invention, I willpro ceed to a detailed description of a" preferred em'-V4 bodiment thereof'with 'reference'to the accompanying 'drawings' in' which:l

Figure lis iaidiagrammatic vside view'of 'a power boat embodying this invention'. Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view ofthe subjectbf Figure'l." f Y Figure y3`isV a Yisometric View,- partly in section; showing a portion ofthe 'power`1mat'-shownin'lgY ure 1. Y

Figure 4 is a detail'sctionalview on 'line 4`4 Figure 3, showing a detail'of construction.

' Figures 5 and are cross-sectional viewsof the power boat shown inligures 1 and2 showing'de-l tails of construction. i

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectionalviewsh'owing a:detailofconstructionf Y Figure 8 is asection'al View, partly brken`away,l' showing details'of a propeller'sliaft strutand its mounting.v` Y v Y Y Figure 9 is a sectional view, partlybroken away`,' showingdetails of'a lrudder post'and itsin`ount--' ing?"V Y Y Referring to the `several"nguresgenerally,.A 'irr-j di'catesthe hull''oi a power boat;'preferablyconfl structed of wood 'and Bindicat'es a frame element; preferably constructed 'of metal;` as' for example, iron; steelior an alloy,i as an alloy fof' aluminum.

The frame B is mounted"witlli'n-theV hull'and extending' fore' and" aft; from"adjacent'the"bow portion' to adjacent the stern portion;"is"adapted for'the'support of a lpower plant fC, or; asinthe* drawingsa pairof power plantsfinboard propeller shaftbearings,fasbearingsLD, and "outboard pro-L' peller shaft bearings, as bearings E, through the medium of struts F.

The frame element Bis also,l as has been indicated, adapted for the support of the rudder post G and the various elements of supply and control, as fuel tanks, tiller line guides, steering gear, engine control devices, etc., etc. not shown.

The frame element B may be of any suitable or desired construction, and, as has been indicated, may be formed from any suitable metal or metal y'alloy'. As illustrated by way of example, the `frame 'element B may comprise a pair of main beams h, h and a pair of auxiliary side beams h', h where the frame is adapted for the support of two power plants, as shown.

The main beams and auxiliary beams are tied together in parallelism by means of transverse members i, i. Vertical members 7', a', cross-braced by means of wires are secured to the auxiliary beams by means of transverse members i', i', at points opposite to the points of connection of transverse members i, i.

The main beams h, h extend fore and aft substantially the full length of the hull A, which may be of any usual or desired construction having a keel k, frames l, planking m, a rail n, and floors o for the support of a deck. The auxiliary beams h', h' extend fore and aft from the stern to points somewhat short of the forward ends of the beams h, h.

The frame B is secured within the hull by resilient connections formed, in the embodiment illustrated, between transverse members i, z and floors o, and by resilient connections formed, in the embodiment illustrated, between the upper ends of the vertical members 7', 7' and the rail n.

The connections between members i, i and the oors are formed through the medium of angle members p secured to members i, z' and in turn bolted to the floors through the medium of studs q, which carry springs r positioned between the angle members and the ioors, so that the connections between the angle members and floors are indirect or non-rigid, resilient, through the spring r, which serves as a resilient mounting, all as shown in detail in Figure 4.

The upper ends of the vertical members 7, z' are flanged and their flanges secured to the rail n, or to other convenient longitudinal member of the hull, through the medium of bolts s, carrying springs t, t positioned on opposite sides of the rail and forming indirect or non-rigid, resilient connections, all as shown in Figure '7.

The power plants C, C, as, for example, internal combustion engines, are rigidly secured to beams of the frame B at suitable desired points by any suitable means, as by bolting.

The propeller shafts y are supported inboard in bearings D, mounted in transverse members i of the frame. The propeller shafts pass out of the hull through the usual logs a such as are shown, for example, in the patent to Robbins No. 1,063,389, and are supported outboard by bearings E, struts F for the support of which are supported from a transverse member i of the frame B, through the medium of springs u secured to a transverse member z by means of nuts v threaded on the strut members. The struts pass out of the hull through suitably packed joints w, all as shown in Figure 8.

Likewise, the rudder post G,upon which the rudder az is mounted, is supported from a transverse member i of the frame B, as shown in Figure 9.

It will now be noted from the above description that in accordance with this invention the power plant or power plants and the propeller shaft, through the medium of its inboard and outboard bearings, are supported independently from the hull of the boat through the medium of the frame B, which is of rigid construction and which is secured within and connected to the hull through the medium of indirect, non-rigid, resilient connections. As a result the power plant or plants and the propeller shaft or shafts arer mounted in effect independently of the hull and also as a unit insuring maintenance of alignment between the propeller shaft bearings and power plants, thus reducing to a minimum bearing friction an-d bearing wear. As a further result, the weight of the power plant or power plants may be and is distributed throughout the hull as compared with being concentrated as in prior constructions.

The frame B, since it is rigid, serves to a large extent, despite its indirect connection with the hull, to stiffen the hull without contributing any undesirable rigidity. Further, since the frame is connected to the hull through non-rigid resilient connections, the transmission of vibration from the power plant or plants to the hull is minimized.

It will be understood that it is not contemplated that this invention shall be limited in any way by the foregoing particular detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, it being obvious that the details may be Widely varied and that the invention from the basic standpoint is not dependent upon any particular details of construction either of the frame per se, of the hull per se, or of the connections between the frame and hull, it being only of the essence that the frame be substantially rigid and that it be connected to the hull indirectly through nonrigid, resilient connections.

As has been indicated, the frame will desirably support in addition to the power plant or plants and propeller shaft bearings, the Various acces sories thereof, as fuel tanks, etc. and the various control devices, as for engine control 'and steering of the boat. Indeed, if it be desired, all of the Various supply elements for the boat and which are of any substantial weight, as water tanks, etc., may, and in many cases desirably will be, supported from the frame.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a power boat, a hull, a frame independent of the hull and extending fore and aft within the hull, non-rigid resilient means forming the sole connection between the frame and hull, a power plant mounted on the frame independent of the hull, a propeller shaft, inboard and outboard propeller shaft bearings, the power plant and propeller shaft bearings being mounted on said frame independent of said hull.

2. In a power boat, a hull, a frame independent of the hull and extending fore and aft within the hull, non-rigid resilient means forming the sole connection between the frame and hull, a power plant mounted on the frame independent of the hull, a propeller shaft, inboard and outboard propeller shaft bearings, the power plant and said inboard propeller shaft bearing being secured rigidly on said frame and said outboard propeller shaft bearing being resiliently secured to said frame.

BENJAMIN W. MORRIS, J R. 

